Lubricating system for machine tools



Sept. 11, 1956 K, F. GALLIMORE 2,

LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR MACHINE TQOLS Original Filed Sept. 16, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mo Keith E Gallimore Sept. 11, 1956 K. F. GALLIMORE LUBRICATING SYSTEM FOR MACHINE TOOLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Sept. 16, 1947 NVEJNTCPTN Keith F. Gallimorc 42 him. 44% cflr oRmzyf United States Patent G LUBRICATING SYSTEM For: MACHINE TooLs Keith F. Gallinrore, Fond du Lac, Wis., assignor to Giddings & Lewis Machine Tool Company, Fond du Lac, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Original application September 16, 1947, Serial No. 774,308, now Patent No. 2,643,441, dated June 30, 1953. Divided and this application January '17, 1952, Serial N 0. 266,929

3 Claims. (Cl. 90-11) The invention relates to machine tools of the type having a tool spindle and associated drive mechanism incorporated in a headstock which is supported on ways for adjustment relative to the machine base, and it is more particularly concerned with the lubricating system provided in such machines.

The present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 774,308 filed September 16, 1947, now Patent No. 2,643,441, granted June 30, 1953.

Machine tools of the above general character are commonly designed for machining comparatively large workpieces and consequently the spindle headstock must be supported at or capable of adjustment to a substantial distance from the machine bed. Support for the headstock is usually provided by a way structure along which it may be shifted to the selected positions of adjustment required by difierent jobs, the headstock, of course, being rigidly clamped to the way structure during machining operations.

To adapt such machine tools for precision machining the component parts are constructed and assembled so as to locate and align the tool spindle very accurately with respect to certain fixed portions of the machine. Considerable difiiculty has been experienced in maintaining accurate spindle alignment in machine tools designed to operate at spindle speeds suitable for present day high speed machining practice. This is due in a large part to the warping or bowing of the way structure as a result of localized temperature changes in the structure. In this connection it may be noted that a relatively great amount of heat is generated in a high speed headstock and the transfer of such heat to the way structure proceeds quite rapidly, particularly when the headstock is clamped to the ways. Even with the sturdiest and most rigid construction practicable, such localized heating of the way structure results in warping or bending of the same and consequent displacement of the spindle from its normal position. In some instances it has been found that the center line of the spindle may be shifted several thousandths of an inch when the machine is started until it reaches a constant running temperature which may take several hours. Furthermore, variations in headstock temperature may afiect the preload on the spindle bearing to an extent sufficient to interfere with its precision operation.

With the above in mind the primary object of the present invention is to provide for machine tools of the above general character an improved lubricating system which, in addition to affording complete and eificient lubrication of the moving parts of the headstock, also serves effectively to dissipate the heat generated therein so as to keep the headstock temperature relatively low and avoid undesirable localized heating of the way structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved system for supplying lubricant to the component parts of the headstock of a machine tool of the above general character which permits the use of a greater volume 2,752,269 Patented Sept. 11, 1956 of lubricant and facilitates cooling of the same, thus avoiding overheating of either the lubricant or the machine.

Still another object is to provide improved conduit means for circulating lubricant or other fluids between a movable machine headstock and a reservoir disposed in the stationary base upon which the headstock is supported.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: 7

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a machine tool equipped with a lubricating system embodying the features of the invention. 7

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the base or bed of the machine taken in a horizontal plane substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the headstock taken inpa vertical plane substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lubricating conduit system taken in a plane substantially on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of a modified form of the lubricating system.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawings and will herein describe in detail the preferred embodiment, but it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, the machine selected to illustrate the invention is commonly known as a horizontal boring, milling and drilling machine. It comprises generally, an elongated horizontal bed 29 of massive construction having an end support or tailstock column 21 at one end and a headstock column 22 at the other end. The latter column supports a vertically adjustable headstock 23 equipped with a horizontally disposed axially slidable tool spindle 24.

The tailstock column 21 supports a vertically adjustable end block or tailstock 26 which cooperates in well known manner with the spindle 24 in supporting a boring bar (not shown) or similar elongated tool member. The column 21 is adjustable longitudinally of the machine bed for the accommodation of boring bars of difierent lengths.

The column 22 as herein shown is in the form of an upright hollow casting bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the top of the machine bed 20 adjacent one end of the bed. The column is provided at its front face with spaced parallel vertical ways 35 for supporting and guiding the headstock 23 in its vertical adjustments. Such adjustments are effected through the medium of a feed screw 36 rotatably anchored at its upper end on the column and coacting with a suitable nut provided in the headstock.

The headstock 23 may be of any suitable character, that shown being of the general type disclosed in the Gallimore et al. Patent No. 2,400,819 issued May 21, 1946. It includes a generally rectangular housing 54 which includes suitable gearing for rotating and axially translating the tool spindle 24. The present invention is not concerned with the details of the gearing, but with the problem of supplying lubricant such as oil to the headstock for the lubrication of that gearing and other movable elements in or associated with the headstock 23.

In accordance with the invention, provision is made for accommodating a main oil supply reservoir R (Fig. 2) within the machine bed 20 and for efiecting continuous circulation of oil between the reservoir R and a subreservoir R (Fig. 3) in the headstock 23. To accommodate the adjusting movements of the headstock, such circulation of lubricant ismaintained through an extensible conduit system connecting-the reservoir and 'the subreservoir. 'By thus locating the main reservoir in the machine bed a much greater volume of oil can be accornmoda'ted, thereby avoiding overheating of the oil and consequent objectionable temperature rise .in the headstock. Moreover, the heat removed from 'the headstock by the oil maybe etfective'ly dissipated in the heavy structure forming the machine bed without adverse effects on the alignment of the spindle or other working parts of the machine.

Referring to Figs. '2-5 of the drawings, the extensible conduitsystem for connecting the reservoir R and subreservoir R preferably comprises a ,pair of telescoping conduit assemblies Uiland 191 arranged one within the other to define a pair of contiguous flow passages. The

larger or outer conduit assembly comprises in this instance three telescoping'ly assembled sections 19%, 1901s and 1900 of progessively increasing diameter. The inner or smaller conduit section 1902. is provided at its upper end with a flange 192adapted to be secured to the bottom wall of the headstock housing '50 as by machine screws. The interior of this conduit section opens into the bottom of the sub-reservoir R in thefheadstock.

As shown in Fig. 4, the outer conduit section 190:.- is slidably received in .a bushing 194 secured in the top wall of the machine bed 20. 'Such top wall in this instance defines the top'of the main lubricant reservoir IR and the conduit assembly 190 thus provides a passage for the tree flow of lubricant from the sub-reservoir R in the headstock to the main reservoir in the machine bed. A circumferential flange .192 adjacent the lower end of the section 1900 prevents accidental withdrawal of the same from the bushing 194.

The conduit section 1901) is interposed between the sections 1903, and 190a, the sections being relatively slidable endwise and provided with suitable sealing means for preventing leakage of lubricant therebetween. The sealing means preferably comprisesoutwardly ofiset hearing surfaces 193 adjacent the lower ends of the sections 190a and 19th) and inwardly oiiset bearings surfaces v1 93' adjacent the upper ends of the sections 19017 and 190:3. These bearing surfaces'engage the adjacent surface of the companion sections to seal the conduit against leakage. In addition each section thus presents a radially directed shoulder adapted to cooperate to prevent withdrawal of one section from the other. The sections 1901) land 16c are also provided at their upper ends with outwardly directed flanges 195' operative to limit their inward or telescoping movement. i

it willbe apparent that the telescoped construction of the conduit assembly 190 above described permits the sections to be extended or collapsed as required-to. accommodate the movements of the headstock away from or toward the machine bed. Preferably the main reservoir R is made of suflicient depth. to afiord clearance for the sections when the headstock is moved into .its lowermost position closely adjacent the top wall of the machine bed. It will be understood, of course,-that the conduit sections are dimensioned and are provided in sufiicient number to extend tothe length required for movement of the headstock toits uppermost position.

The inner conduit assembly 191 also comprises 2. pl rality ofsections assembled in telescoping relation, there being two sections 205 and 2'0fizin theparticular construction illustrated in Fig. .3. The innermost section 205 is formed with an outwardly flaring upper end portion 207 anchored by a locking screw .208 in-a plug .209 .secured .in a cover plate 210 mounted on the upper Wall of the headstock housing 50. .Apertures 194' adjacent the upper end of the conduit section 205 open into an anniflar chamber 195 formed in the cover plate 210 from which a duct 211 extends to a duct212 in communication with the sub-reservoir R in the headstock.

At its lower end the inner casing section 205 is open to the outer casing section 206. This latter section is provided at its upper end with \a detachable sleevelike element 213 which slidably engages the outer wall of the inner section :and forms an oil-tight seal therewith. At its lower end the conduit section 206 is threaded into a fitting 1'97 Whichhas an internal chamber 198 to which the lubricant or oil is supplied by way of a pipe 199. The fitting 197 may be conveniently threaded into the portion of the machine bed 20 constituting the bottom wall of the reservoir In the exemplary embodiment of the invention oil is supplied under pressure through the pipe 199 'by a suitable pump P (Fig. 2) driven by an-elec'trie motor M1. The pump is arranged to withdraw oil from the reservoir R and force it through the pipe 199 into :the chamber .198 from whence it passes upwardly 'throughthe conduit assernbiy main reservoir R by way of the outer conduit assembly 190. Such. oil, of course, mixes with the large volume in the main reservoir and is thus cooled, cooling being further facilitated by the relatively large mass of the machine bed in which the :main reservoir is formed.

In :the modified form of lubricating system shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, the pump Pin the main reservoir Ris arranged to discharge the oil under pressure through a pipe 199 projecting from the top of the machine bed 20. The oil .is carried from this pipe through a flexible tube 209 to a suitable fitting 202 on the headstock housing .23 through which it is discharged into the sub-reservoir .R. in the headstock. Used-oil is returned to the main reservoir through a telescoping tubular conduit assembly .201

which may be sirnilar'inconstruction to the'conduit assembly heretofore described.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the :inven-' tion provides a novel lubricating systemior machine tools having movable 'headstocks or the like enclosing :gearing and similar elements. By reason of the novel conduit system provided by the invention, the main fluid reservoir may be located in the base of the machine and maybe dimensioned to accommodate :a relatively large volume of oil. The continuous circulation of this large volume of oil insures the presence of 0001 -oil in the headstock at all times. V

' I claim as my invention:

1. .In a machine toolhaving a horizontally disposed bed, an upright column on said bed, a spindle headstock supported on said column for vertical adjustment, .a 'lubr-ieating system for said headstock including a lubricant reservoir located in said bed, a pair 'of conduits extending between said headstock and said bed, said conduits being arranged one within the other to provide 'contiguons'pa'ssages for the flow of lubricant from said reservoir to'said headstock and from said headstock back to said reservoir; each of said conduits comprising a pluralityof telescoping tubular sections adapted to be extended or collapsed to accommodate themselves to the various adjusted positions of said headstock on said column, the lowersections :of both conduits being secured to said bed so that the con duits may be projected into the :bed throughout substantially their entire lengths to allow the headstock to -ap-. proach said bed closer than the length of either 'of the lower conduit sections.

2. In a machine tool having a stationary bed, an up right column on said bed, a spindle headstock supported on said column for vertical adjustment, "a lubricating system for said headstock including a sub-reservoir in the headstock, a main reservoir 'in the machine bed, an-ext'ensible conduit assembly connecting said main and subreservoirs, said assembly comprising a plurality of tubular sections telescopingly fitted together, one of said sections being secured to said headstock and another section being slidably received in a bushing secured to the machine bed so that the assembly when collapsed is substantially entirely located Within the main reservoir, and a flange on said other section efiective to prevent Withdrawal of the section from said bushing.

3. In a machine tool having a stationary bed, an upright column on said bed, a spindle headstock supported on said column for vertical adjustment, a lubricating system for said headstock including a sub-reservoir in the headstock, a main reservoir in the machine bed, an extensible conduit assembly connecting said main and sub-reservoirs, said assembly comprising a plurality of tubular sections telescopingly fitted together, means securing one of said sections to said headstock in communication with said sub-reservoir, another of said sections being slidably fixed to the machine bed in communication with said main reservoir so that the assembly when collapsed is located within the main reservoir, and a second conduit assembly extending through said first conduit assembly, said second conduit assembly including a plurality of tubular sections telescopingly fitted together, and means securing respective sections of said second conduit assembly to said headstock and to the machine bed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,323,268 Hanson Dec. 2, 1919 1,782,235 Kearney Nov. 18, 1930 2,069,296 Woytych Feb. 2, 1937 2,093,757 Godfriaux Sept. 21, 1937 2,220,068 Eckardt Nov. 5, 1940 2,254,163 Zimmerman Aug. 26, 1941 2,385,393 Wilson Sept. 25, 1945 2,430,127 Kronenberg Nov. 4, 1947 2,452,674 Nenninger Nov. 2, 1948 

